Open AccessCryptosporidiosis in People: It's Not Just About the Cows
Author(s) -
Chako C.Z.,
Tyler J.W.,
Schultz L.G.,
Chiguma L.,
Beerntsen B.T.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of veterinary internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.356
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1939-1676
pISSN - 0891-6640
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0431.x
Subject(s) - cryptosporidium , cryptosporidium parvum , transmission (telecommunications) , livestock , medicine , diarrhea , environmental health , disease , public health , veterinary medicine , virology , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , feces , pathology , electrical engineering , engineering
Cryptosporidiosis is one of the most common causes of infectious diarrhea in people. Although dairy calves are high‐risk hosts, the role of other livestock, pets, and humans in the disease should not be underestimated. Some Cryptosporidium species and strains are specific to people, others are specific to animals while some are zoonotic pathogens. Cryptosporidium hominis is the species responsible for the majority of human cases in the United States, Sub‐Saharan Africa, and Asia, while Cryptosporidium parvum accounts for more human cases in Europe and particularly in the United Kingdom. A deeper understanding of Cryptosporidium host range, reservoirs, and transmission is needed to develop preventive strategies to protect the general public.